A leisurely afternoon in Rieul. I had a nice chat with neighbor Isen, and then Storm dropped by. He talked about a little Gompa that he had started to build nearby. I commented on today’s entry in Storm’s blog:
I notice that self-grasping brings physical tension and stress. A 9 second break and a re-tune to Being, and the subsequent depth of relaxation is greater than a hot bath or a massage could ever give!
and at that point Zenon arrived.
Pema Pera: Just saw your blog entry today, very nice, delighted to see that this 9-sec idea actually has some mileage!
Storm Nordwind: The reminder can be good. It can sometimes be so easy to start thinking of things as real which really are not.
Zenon Sideways: hi
Pema Pera: Hi Zenon!
Storm Nordwind: Hi Zenon
Zenon Sideways: The computer repair person has just left after installing a new graphics card and motherboeard, so I hope it will work…
Pema Pera: you seem to be in one piece allright!
Zenon Sideways: Who else is here, Pema?
Pema Pera: Zenon, meet Storm
Zenon Sideways: Hi Storm!
Pema Pera: Zenon is relatively new to SL
Pema Pera: Has worked with us in Qwaq
Storm Nordwind: Hi Zenon. Pleased to meet you
Pema Pera: Zenon, Storm is a neighbor
Storm Nordwind: Namaste
Pema Pera: He has helped me a lot
Pema Pera: getting settled in here
Zenon Sideways: Arigato
Pema Pera: pan-Asian!
Pema Pera: Indian-Japanese greetings
Storm Nordwind: You are being too flattering Pema!
Pema Pera: oh no, Storm, seriously!
Storm Nordwind: I should say Gassho then!
Pema Pera: Thanks to Dakini and you, I feally feel at home here
Pema Pera: I remember wondering where to start PaB
Pema Pera: and it was such a stroke of luck to drop by here in mid March
Pema Pera: to sit with Dakini et al
Pema Pera: and then to have her offer the tea house to use
Storm Nordwind: Like attracts like
Pema Pera: yes indeed!
Storm Nordwind: Or we are part of each others’ karma!
Pema Pera: Zenon, feel free to sit down
Pema Pera: on a stone bench or on the wood in front of you
Zenon Sideways: How do you do that? I am a real newby here.
Storm Nordwind: Right click on the place you want to sit. A pie wheel appears. Select sit
Storm Nordwind: One of the benches next to Pema would be the easiest
Storm Nordwind: Are you using a Mac or a PC?
Zenon Sideways: PC
Storm Nordwind: OK. Well you found it OK - good!
Zenon Sideways: Ah.. Good. Where’s the tea?
Storm Nordwind: Inside the house in front of you. Want some?
Zenon Sideways: Yes please.
Storm Nordwind: I might be able to give you some anyway. Please hold on
Storm then gave a tea cup to Zenon, and explained how to accept it. I’m including the conversation here for those readers who are new to SL, as an example how residents help each other to get their feet wet in SL.
Storm Nordwind: Please accept that
Zenon Sideways: Accept what??
Storm Nordwind: Did you get a blue panel message at the top right of your screen?
Storm Nordwind: good
Storm Nordwind: Now look in your inventory
Storm Nordwind: Look at recent items
Zenon Sideways: Where is my inventory?
Storm Nordwind: Blue button at the bottom right
Storm Nordwind: Find it?
Storm Nordwind: Can you see the button for Inventory?
Zenon Sideways: Yes but when I typed the last answer “yes” it started to seaarch my inventory for it!
Storm Nordwind: What I need you to do is click on the tab that says “Recent Items”
Storm Nordwind: You will see a folder called Objects
Storm Nordwind: Click on the folder and you will see a box called Chawan
Storm Nordwind: Then you right click on the box and select “Wear”
Zenon Sideways: I don’t see a “recent items” tab. I clicked on clothing but nother happened…
Storm Nordwind: The Recent Items is at the top of the Inventory panel
Storm Nordwind: Next to All Items tab
Zenon Sideways: Okay I see it
Storm Nordwind: Click on that
Chawan : Mmmm, delicious green cha made in the ceremonial Japanese tradition, Zenon Sideways, so refreshing!
Storm Nordwind: YAY!!
Chawan : Mmm..
Storm Nordwind: Enjoy!
Chawan : Mmm..
Zenon Sideways: I seen to have acquired a Chawan, though I can’t see it on my right hand
Storm Nordwind: We can see it
Zenon Sideways: Okay I can now when I turn araound a bit more.
Storm Nordwind: Just practice - no problem
Chawan : Don’t you feel at one with nature now, Zenon Sideways so peaceful and relaxed.
Zenon asked more questions, and the conversation turned to the use of sound.
Zenon Sideways: What are you wearing and where can I get one?
Storm Nordwind: Me? I bought it at some shop and then I recoloured it, edited the sleeves short and added blue flashes
Zenon Sideways: I seem to be having and out of body experience as I am in front of all of us watching me.
Storm Nordwind: Some people pay thousands of dollars for that in Real Life! :)
Storm Nordwind laughs
Zenon Sideways: This is a beautiful spot, who made it?
Storm Nordwind: This is Our friend Dakini Rhode’s place
Zenon Sideways: Beautiful… I’d like to jump into it from here…
Storm Nordwind: Then it is working - it is, as advertised, an immersive experience
Zenon Sideways: very much so, except for having to type to other members…
Storm Nordwind: That is not necessary unless you want to log the conversations. We could use voice instead - I see you are equipped for that - but then Pema would lose the log
Pema Pera: I would prefer text
Pema Pera: at least during the main portions of the sessions
Zenon Sideways: We have already discussed that. He has good reasons for the typing modality — it leaves a trace. But for a bad typist it is hard work
Pema Pera: but it is already 1:45 now
Pema Pera: so we can declare this the apres-PaB ;>)
Storm Nordwind i understand
Pema Pera: so sure, Zenon, if you’d like to use headsets to talk with Storm that is fine!
Pema Pera: it is more efficient for explaining how to get around in SL
Pema Pera: for sure
Zenon Sideways: I don’t have it here — it’s with my laptop (SKype)
Storm Nordwind: I see. But your SL client thinks you have a mike because there is a small white dot over your head
Zenon Sideways: I have a mke built into a camera. If I use it yo get an echo because the speqkers are neaby. Let’s try..
Storm Nordwind: Echo will be a problem. We had better wait
Storm Nordwind: It is not a good idea to bring sounds other than your own into SL except in private one-to-one chats
Pema Pera: I can’t use voice now — am in a coffee shop without headphones
Storm Nordwind: Fair enough
Storm Nordwind: Good etiquette
Storm Nordwind: For both SL and RL
Zenon Sideways: Okay. We can try it another time for comparison purposes. It’s an experiment.
Storm Nordwind: Fine
Pema Pera: actually someone was just telling me to shut off the circkets ;>)
Pema Pera: I had not realized the sound was still on on low volume
Storm Nordwind: And my laughing
Pema Pera: but young people have better ears for higher pitch
Zenon then wandered off to reconnoiter, and we saw him striking up a conversation with Isen. Storm and I then walked over to his Gompa. It has a very pretty and rather ornate door, and inside he showed me the arrangments of some of his favorite tankas, grouped over a kind of altar.
Storm then gave me advice about making requests to Linden Lab concerning the possible sale of parcels owned by Gov. Linden, adjacent to my land, and I went ahead and submitted a few tickets. It would be nice to extend our real estate here, given the various building plans we have.
